mcbride charles ryan: the yardmasters building

‘yardmasters building’ by mcbride charles ryan in melbourne, australia all images courtesy mcbride charles ryan

australian architecture studio mcbride charles ryan has designed ‘yardmasters building’, a slim rectangular building that houses the operational offices of melbourne’s southern cross railway station. nestled in between a multitude of outbound and inbound tracks, the design stands intentionally in contrast with its industrious environment.

the result of an extensive study and consultation with its users and their representatives, the design process put its primary precedence in a successful organization and layout of programs: simple in circulation, the building accommodates the majority of its offices on the second and third floor, locker rooms and a gym on the first, and facilities for maintenance and cleaning on the ground level.

west elevation

wrapped in a jewel-like shell, the exterior facade features a repeating pattern finished in a metallic material with a light sheen. jagged slices from this template results in a collection of windows that provide appropriate views and sunlight into the interior. with time, the exterior surfaces will rust and discolor to gradually reflect its site.  

(left) north elevation (right) facade detail

window detail

(left) perspective view (right) south elevation

interior view

cafeteria on third floor

renderings of day and night scenarios

construction

site plan

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +1

floor plan / level+2

floor plan / level +3

east elevation

west elevation

(left) north elevation (right) south elevation